Kodai Senga injury has Mets broadcaster sharing his thoughts on six-man rotations

The only reason the New York Mets were going to use a six-man rotation moving forward was to help Kodai Senga. Necessary to help him in the most familiar of situations as he threw in six-man rotations throughout his time in Japan, it’s no longer much of a need but a starting pitcher addition before the trade deadline absolutely is. That's because Senga is expected to miss the rest of the 2024 regular season.

The devastating blow in his first start of the season which should have him sidelined for possibly the rest of the regular season should have the Mets changing gears. Tylor Megill isn’t a suitable replacement. As such, we should see the Mets scouring the market for upgrades of all proportions.

Was this plan destined to fail? As Mets radio broadcaster Howie Rose tweeted, six-man rotations always tend to be tricky.

You can never have enough pitching and the Mets got a big taste of it

The Mets should have already been in the market for a starter even with Senga healthy. Megill doesn’t cut it. David Peterson, despite the low ERA, has been more lucky than good. For them to get this far into the season with the veteran trio of Luis Severino, Jose Quintana, and Sean Manaea remaining healthy is flirting with danger.

With Senga in the mix, the Mets were probably going to be, at best, looking to add some sort of a swingman to the rotation. Someone on equal footing or slightly better than Megill probably was all they could reasonably go after. Now, they need to look bigger.

The six-man rotation plan could’ve gone awry in a couple of different ways. The way it did, with Senga hurting his calf upon his return, is a classic Mets way for the season to go into a landslide. Never fear. The Mets have gotten this far without him. The panic button is free of fingerprints. And the timing, as funky as it was, couldn’t have been better in some ways. Right up against the trade deadline, it’s the perfect opportunity for the Mets to strike a deal and actually stick with just a five-man rotation instead of reinventing the game with six starters.

As long as Senga is a member of the Mets and any other MLB team for that matter, a six-man rotation will be in play in at least some form. He pitched better last year with the extra day of rest. Certainly a benefit for some other pitchers, managing the roster does become more difficult. For a Mets team with a bunch of questions in the bullpen, it’s far more beneficial to have just five starters.

Alas, it’s a sting to the Mets but not the death toll it would be in other years. We made it this far without him. Let this be another even to motivate rather than discourage a ball club playing some of the best baseball since June 1.